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'I was like No...' - Joaquin Phoenix Included THIS Suggestion By Lady Gaga For Musicals In Joker: Folie à Deux
In a recent interview Joaquin Phoenix revealed the unconventional approach they used for musical performances in the Joker sequel, suggested by Lady Gaga!
The sequel to 2019’s blockbuster Joker takes a bold turn, venturing into the genre of musicals. Joker: Folie à Deux picks up in the aftermath of the first film, but this time, the main characters—Arthur Fleck, aka Joker (Joaquin Phoenix), and Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga)—use music to convey their internal emotions.
In an interview with IndieWire, Stefani Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, revealed that music plays a pivotal role in the sequel, allowing the characters to express themselves in ways that mere dialogue cannot. “Music is used to give the characters a way to express what they need to say because the scene and just the dialogue is not enough,” she explained.
To achieve this and stay true to their characters, the Bad Romance singer proposed an unconventional approach: singing live on set. Initially, Joaquin Phoenix was hesitant. “Stefani early on was like, 'We're going to sing live,' and I was like, 'No, we're not. You can sing live if you want,'” Phoenix shared with the outlet. However, they ultimately decided to sing live because “it was really the only way” to capture the raw, authentic emotions of their characters.
Given that neither Harley Quinn nor Joker are professional singers, but rather two deeply complex personalities grappling with immense pain and inner turmoil, the decision to sing live—accompanied by a pianist on set—helped maintain the raw and unfiltered nature of their performances.
"Not only did we sing live, but every part of the recording was live. We didn't sing to completed tracks or a click track,” Phoenix added. As a result, every take was a unique version of the song, which not only brought an exciting spontaneity to the scenes but was also essential in capturing the film’s energy.
On the other hand, Gaga, a trained and professional singer, made a conscious effort to unlearn her musical training and let go of her usual finesse to ensure her performance felt raw and unpolished. "For me, it was a lot about unlearning technique, forgetting how to breathe properly, and allowing the song to emerge entirely from the character," she explained.
Director Todd Phillips got inspired to do a musical Joker sequel after noticing Arthur Fleck’s musicality in the first film. According to him, Joker always had a “musicality to him," and would express himself through dance movements and rhythm. “Hildur Guðnadóttir's score is almost a character in the first film," Phillips added.
While working on Joker: Folie à Deux with a musical aspect, the director had his eureka moment and thought of approaching the Poker Face singer. “We thought, what if we got Lady Gaga who actually brings music with her?" he recalled. Eventually, Gaga was on board and brought her unique take on the titular Harley Quinn.
Joker: Folie à Deux premieres in theaters on October 4.
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